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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

I have a hard time believing I am a mom of two. I still feel like a little girl at times. We were so excited when we found out we would be adding another little human to our family. This second pregnancy flew by so fast, and now it seems the momentum is not ceasing, baby T will be already two weeks in just a couple of days. It seems that each baby propels life into an even faster whirlwind.

As any mother, I just wanted a healthy birth. I had my birth preferences typed up, as with baby E. I was just hoping and praying everything goes well - and if it happened just the way I hoped, even better. With the first birth I learned that being in a hospital automatically set me up for 'warfare'. Simply put, my ideas of birth clashed with everyone there, including my OB. I could feel the tension and I wanted to avoid that with this birth, hence we chose to give birth at a small birth center with a midwife.

What a huge difference! The moment I got there I knew this was going to be different. Everything was so peaceful. From the calm disposition of the midwife to the lights with dimmers, CD player with my favorite guitar music. A big full size bed where hubby and I could nap as my contractions progressed. A tub full of warm water. It all seemed too good to be true.

[the birth tub in the background and daddy with his baby boy]

It was midnight Thursday on the 17th of November. I just put my toddler to bed (yes, that late!) and I've been feeling something, couldn't tell exactly what. All evening I've had some tugging around the belly, I guess those were contractions. The baby was a week and a half overdue and I did not want to get an ultrasound (it would be the first) that Friday. I was dancing all evening with my toddler and bouncing on a balance ball in hopes of getting things going. As I lay down next to baby E, I felt what I knew was a contraction, I glanced at the clock. I timed them, they were eight minutes apart. My husband was supposed to be home from his second shift any minute. Around 12:30 am he walked in and I told him we were having the baby that night.

I finished packing my toddler's bag and my hospital bag. That included all the food for my husband and I since we weren't in a hospital. Around 2 am we put our toddler in the car in her sleep sack, she was quite upset at being woken up in the middle of the night, of course. We arrived at the birth center at 2:45 am, my mother was waiting there for us to take baby E to her house. My concerns about having a baby en route vanished.

My contractions slowed down when I was put on the monitor for twenty minutes. Then the midwife left and my husband and I took a nap on the large bed. I woke up with each contraction, but they were not very strong. Then about an hour later I woke up to a really strong one and was happy things were progressing. I labored alone for about half an hour and then woke up my husband and called the midwife. It was so nice to have that quiet time alone, without interruptions from any nurses or staff. It was just the three of us in the building.

[snuggling skin to skin with baby boy]

I was ready to get in the tub and I didn't really know what to expect. The moment I got in, I knew it was worth the drive! It really took the edge off the labor. I could relax, I didn't have to hold on to my husband the way I did with the first birth (to the point that he had bruises!). The weightlessness made all the difference and I wouldn't have it any other way. My husband just sat right outside the tub, held my hand, encouraged me, and it was so relaxing for me to see him relaxed and not as worried as the first time. At 5:50 I started pushing and at 5:59 am our baby was born. Okay, so the water didn't really help much during the pushing part, I think they heard me screaming at the hospital across the street. The midwife pulled baby T up out of the water and right into my arms, what an amazing feeling! A few seconds later we realized we didn't even look to see who it was... My husband finally exclaimed "It's a boy!"

I got out of the tub, out came the placenta, I needed a few stitches (something I was really hoping to avoid, but alas not everything goes as planned), we snuggled in bed with our baby boy. We started munching on sandwiches I made and oatmeal raisin cookies. I was starving after all that work! I loved how little interference there was from the midwives, they basically came when I asked them to. Nine hours later we went home. With the first birth I couldn't walk for two days, the twelve hours of intense labor took its toll. This time I just felt great, it was such a relief! I was so happy to finally be holding this overdue baby in my arms!

This post was written by:

Anastasia is a mom of two who loves to spend time with her family, travel, homeschool, read, and run her photography business. She is a life-long learner and small business owner who loves to share her parenting experiences with others. She resides with her family north of Boston.

22 comments:

What a beautiful story! I can relate as I had a similar birth experience this summer. Fortunately, it was my first and I am grateful I do not have a horrible one to compare it to. I delivered at home and wasn't even planning on a water birth until I got into the tub to ease contractions and the midwife asked if I'd like to stay there for birth. Glad I did, he was a big boy at over 9 lbs. We, too, sat in joy and wonder for a few moments before we checked to see who we had welcomed into our family. It sounds like you had an amazing experience and I am so glad it was much more what you'd envisioned! Congratulations!!

I am curious about water birth. Like you, my first giving birth experience was two years ago in a hospital. And yes the place was noisy, stressful and teeming with nurses who constantly pestered me with orders to "keep moving to speed up your labor". Duh. I wish I'd experience water birth the next time around.

Thanks for the idea, and please if you have the time, see my baby's pics here: http://www.babypics.com/This is an online photo album i found online. Your readers might want to try it.

Wow! I'm always amazed when I read these stories. I don't know why, but I tend to feel that water birth is a great way to deliver, but not something I'd be able to do. (Find in the area, get family support for, be brave enough to go through...I know, all the reasons sound a little silly.) But now that I'm expecting baby #2, I've started to question what I've assumed delivery #2 to be like. These personal stories give me so much to think about, thank you.

Congratulations on your baby boy! What a wonderful birth story.Sounds like everything went great!

I had a baby boy at home (water birth as well) 2 weeks ago. My first was born in the hospital.I was most surprised/pleased by how great I felt afterwards. Overall it was a great experience and I wouldn't change anything!

I haven't blogged a birth story, but I did list some of the differences between my two births (family doctor in a hospital vs. home birth with midwife) in a blog post:

Aww that's a beautiful story! It fills me with hope reading stories like this. I'm hoping for a home water birth next time. But because I had CS with my first I am doubting that decision will be good :(

Congratulations! A beautiful story, birth, mama and of course, baby! So glad you had the experience you wanted.

I've been late catching up on my email digests and just saw where you posted that he'd come and I read that, then figured, well, by now, she's got to have posted the story! And sure enough, you had. So awesome. :)

What a sweet birth story! I just love reading about great natural births. I also had a water birth at home in October with my first. All went well except for a bit of post-delivery bleeding. I enjoyed the tub, but I was a little disappointed in how little it dulled the pain, though did greatly help in relaxation. Enjoy mommyhood x2!

I love your birth story and your blog :) It brought tears to my eyes to read that you got the birth you wanted. I'm really hoping that my second one goes closer to what I had planned for my first. Definitely think I'll try for a home birth or birthing center birth next time around. Thanks again for stopping by my blog!

Your first and second births sound almost identical to mine. I'm so glad you finally got the peaceful, calm birth that you wanted. It makes such a huge difference, doesn't it? Congrats on a beautiful boy!

Pregnancy hormones made me cry reading this! I had our first (a girl) in a hospital 3 years ago, though I didn't want to. It was traumatic for all of us. We are expecting a boy in the Spring and I switched from a midwife in a hospital to a midwife in a small birth center. My first appointment is today! I hope everything goes as well for me, as it did for you. Worrying about this birth has been very stressful. Thank you for sharing your story!

congratulations on your beautiful baby boy!! aren't they such miracles? i totally understand your aversion to hospitals- i feel that way too...however i'm just not brave enough to go w/o an epidural! you and all the other women who choose to go w/o deserve medals of honor!!

Ohhhh your birth story is soo beautiful, I cannot wait to experience this! I wanted a water birth for my last delivery, but it wasn't an option at my hospital/with my OB so I'm SO glad to have found a great midwife and birth center so I can have one with baby #3!!

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